I got 2 words for you,: EAT JELLY !! EVERY DAY . !! in two weeks your nails will be hard as . . . .
If you're scared of all the sugar, get lo-cal jelly, or make your own using gelatine and cake flavouring.
From real soft nails, I now use my index finger nail for strumming!
There must be any number of websites to show how to shape your new cast-iron! ?, nails so that thumb does not hook-up, but basically a long slope on the "inside" and normal rounded on the outside, - but I'm sure you know that after having fingerpicked before.

Yes, it is the gelatine. Not for accelerated growth, but for Hardness.

Hi Guys and Babes, Just thought I'd share. If you want good hard nails for fingerpicking, eat jelly EVERY DAY. I'm not kidding it's as easy as that. I do and my nails are hard as, - well, nails.!
If you're worried about the sugar intake, there is low-cal jelly available, and if you're then worried about the artificial sweetener, you can make your own jelly using plain gelatine and your chosen flavouring. No kidding, it's cheap and it works! ?

Hi Neil, I found Abalone shells at hock shops and junk stores. We all had perlemoen shells for ashtrays before we realised how stupid it was to smoke.! Otherwise, if you don't mind cheating a bit, go onto ebay, - there are places in china that sell pre-cut shapes. The other places to look are scrapbooking shops that sell beads, you may find some pearl beads. Good luck, K.

Hey, Thanks Norio for all your work setting this up. I was SO keen to buy a tee for myself and partner, but ouch, ; $18 times two translates into over R400.00 plus another R50 for postage and then our post office will probably not deliver anyway. I can understand the hassles one would end up with doing it locally, but that pricing kills it for me. Sorry. K.

B or C . White, i. I'll take 4 of them. Great idea.

First a Bellini, made in Pinetown in 1964 cost R6.50. White with smokey rings all over.! Would have bought the Gallo but it was R7.50 and I couldn't raise that kind of tin.
First apprentice salary went to a Yamaha FG180 ( which I still have) for R72.00 in 1968. Bwhahaha

Hi, Any of you guys have any opinions on Buckley guitars and Buckley amplifiers? Thanks.

+1 to all the replies posted. This is what music videos are all about. I wanna see the artists actually playing. Don't need clever computer camera work/ naked chicks rolling on the beach/ explosions/movie clips/ whatever. Well, . . .OK, I'll reconsider about the chicks., But what I mean is great song writing, great performance, I was drawn right into the space and the song.Only one piece of (constructive) criticism, - I feel there were a few lost opportunities for more lead guitar infills and riffs. You guys are doing it RIGHT. !

Does anyone know whether there are any plans to hold an expo for acoustic guitar luthiers to showcase their guitars in South Africa?

There is an in depth article on this subject, on the internet, - of course I now can't remember the guy's name !, - where he has done a whole shipload of research and has come up with moving the nut as much as 0.75mm closer to the first fret, the rest of the frets are spaced as calculated for your string length. And then shaping the saddle break point for each string (as you see done on top-end guitars) by chamfering the saddle either forward or back, - different for each string. Sorry I didn't keep the url, but keep googling the topic and I'm sure you'll find it. For individual fret spacing positions, I use a scalpel to score the fret positions and then saw freehand (carefully!) and using a digital tuner find I can fine tune and re-crown any frets that are not quite right. Remember that as the guitar ages and the frets wear, the fret crowns flatten altering "fret position" by as much as the width of the fret!and may need re-crowning/replacing. It all comes back to how much of a perfectionist you are and if you're such a maestro that a few c's can be blamed on fret positioning and not your own attack or slightly high action.!

Dear Mr Camera Man, When you film a music video, it's about music. We don't want to see the singer's tattoos or down the chick's chest or how short her pants are, - Well , Hmmm, Ahh, What I want to say is, - spend a little more time on the action. People that are watching for the music really DO want to see the band member's hands and appreciate technique and all that stuff that took YEARS to achieve. Please show us the Player not the Song.

Thank you Alan. I had that suspicion. It looks to have a solid top, or is that just clever finishing? ! And I thought it might be a deal just to get that top and maybe the machine heads for a future re-build.!. . . I build and repair guitars for a hobby. Thanks. K.

Hi, I've been offered a nylon string classical acoustic guitar. The maker is CENTURY and the model is a CG520. Can't find anything on Google, - does anyone know of this guitar and have any idea of quality? Thanks.

A truly inspiring daily thought, thank you. I shall practise my "donkey" off. I shall not try to playnote-for-note the Hotel California lead break, - I shall not try to harmonise a precise copy of Scarborough Fair, and Gary Moore can go and talk to his mother. Me ? - I'm Jammin' Mahn.

Hi Luthiers, Is there a traditional standard for fret markers on the edge of a classical guitar neck? Like one dot at 5, one dot at 7 two dots at 9 and so on, - or whatever? Thanks, K.

Well done Bru, that finish is awesome. Give us some technical info, What did you use for the white trim? What laquer did you use.? Is there a technical reason for the lamination in the neck, or is it just that it looks so good?

O.K. So you've lost me here. There is a lot of elbow grease and polishing here, but what for? It is not an authentic indian tomahawk, they did not have nuts and bolts, - why would you want to make/own/display/show-off a piece like that? I can see there is a heap of work there, but what is the end product?

Thank you Alan and PeteM, I just love that sharp, crisp and accurate sound that I get from fingerpicking with finger-nails. I have tried acrylic nails and usually Epoxy them on, cos the "Superglue" supplied is not strong enough, but am worried that an extended period of doing that may damage my natural nails. Having said that,- James Taylor has a 101 on Youtube where he instructs on how to re-inforce nails using f/glass re-inforcing. Anyone tried Sally Hanson's Strengtheners? K.

Hey Fingerpickers, What's your fingernail regime? Favourite strengthening tactic? How to protect your nails once you have them! Thanks, Kevin.